The most recent edition of the Portland Tribune features a front page article on Portland’s best and worst buildings. The piece touches on something that has always bothered me about PDX, which is our tendency to play it safe when it comes to architecture. Portland had its chance at scoring Frank Gehry designed low income housing, but we totally blew it. Now, that’s not saying I’m a huge fan of Gehry’s work, but it would have been cool to have one of his buildings here since they are such icons. Portland can feel so second tier when places like Seattle managed to get Rem Koolhaas to do their central library. And while it’s not directly related to architecture, don’t get me started on the whole Maya Lin disaster in the Pearl. Yes, we do have that Michael Graves designed building from the ‘80s, but have you been inside? What a dump. You know, it’s really frustrating to see such uninteresting buildings going up along the South Waterfront when we have great firms like Skylab and Allied Works doing their best stuff in cities that appreciate their fresh approach. Anyway, below is the Portland Tribune’s lists.

I like your ‘best’ list much better than theirs, although I’m not sure where the Dekum building is. But - and this is one of the few things Brian and I argue about - but, I am no fan of PAM. It is a forbidding and uninviting place to me, and I think that’s a lethal impression for a public art museum. PAM is completely the opposite of his Equitable Building, which I love.